Used to buy it at Stop & Shop. It was a box of rectangular pizza slices exactly like Ellios but it had an Italian name that I think began with a B. Much tastier than Ellios and the kids loved it.Haven't seen it in the freezer in a couple of years and without the name I don't even know what to ask for! Anyone know what I'm describing?

That is odd. I think they are going to stretch themselves too thin. According to the website they not only are going to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner but they are going to offer a delivery service to "the Boston area and local colleges" but they ran out of food on opening night? I live a few blocks from them and I'm in no rush to try it out.

Nope that's all you need. Just don't do what I did the first time. Tossed the berries into the mini food processor and whirred and couldn't figure out why it was chopping around like I had a nut in there. Stopped it, opened the lid, and there was the white "freshness" sack that I had forgotten was in the package. It obviously mixed whatever was in that plastic sack with the berries so I had to toss it and go buy another package! No need to poison anyone.

Can't remember how much chocolate I used. Probably at least 1 1/2 pounds of good quality white chocolate that I tempered. Add the raspberry powder and stir it in then spread out onto a silpat sheet. I remember using two silpat sheets and I spread it fairly thin.

I've hosted many parties over the years and I used to be so anal that I had to prepare everything because I wanted everything to be perfect. I have had pot luck parties where the non-cooks stop at the grocery on the way and bring 3 pounds each of crappy coleslaw and potato salad that nobody even touched and ended up getting tossed. So I get why you want to make everything.

However, as I've gotten older I realize I don't have anything to prove and while I still don't want crappy coleslaw at my dinner I'm willing to ask the "cooks" in the bunch to bring a dish or I'll get something quality at a gourmet food store to supplement the items I have time/energy to make at home.

I grew up in an environment where there had to be enough food at parties for everyone to enjoy. If you ran out of something you didn't plan properly! Leftovers were not only expected but required!

I would suggest not stressing so much about what goes with what. For a party this size it's not important. It's not a sit down dinner. For buffet/bbq anything goes. I would worry about what you are capable of doing given your health issues. Don't over do it! If hand pies are too much work save them for another time when a few friends are coming to dinner. Make what you can and supplement with prepared foods or dishes from good friends who I'm sure would LOVE to help. If you were inviting me I would insist on bringing a dessert, one less thing for you to worry about! :-)

I like the freeze dried strawberries and raspberries. I throw the strawberries in my cereal if I'm out of fresh fruit.

I make chocolates for holiday gifts and took the freeze dried raspberries and pureed them to a powder and stirred it into tempered white chocolate. Spread thin as a bark and broke into pieces. Sublime. Had a raspberry white chocolate bar in Austria a couple of years ago and couldn't find anything local so made my own. :-)

Every time I try one the bars fall apart so I just get granola. I need a bar recipe that will stick together and stay that way. I'm thinking a chewy bar has a better chance than crunchy ones.

Would like a recipe that has been tried successfully. I've scanned the web but not finding anything with great confidence. I'm vacuum sealing them and shipping them off in a navy care package so want to be sure they don't end up as cereal at the final destination. Have had great success vacuum sealing other bars (brownies, blondies, magic bars...) so think a chewy granola bar should make it okay.

I've been thinking about the Dakota bread recipe from Cooks Country so in preparation for when I get all the ingredients together I made some raspberry rhubarb jam. Man, it's good on toast, crackers, fingers...

I just made a reservation on Open Table and the fine print says I have to call by 2:00 the afternoon of the reservation if I want to keep it. Really? And the restaurant is not in the big city so I'm a bit surprised and honestly annoyed. I too have had restaurants call me the day of and that's fine, but now I'll be out and about on Saturday and I have to remember to call the restaurant by 2:00 or we may not have a table available when we show up? I'm now contemplating canceling the reservation and going someplace else just because I find this annoying.